Johann Januarius Zick

German, 1730–1797

The Adoration of the Symbols of the Trinity, 1760

oil on canvas

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Born in Munich, Johann Januarius Zick first studied painting under his father, Johann Zick, and then pursued both painting and architecture under the master mason Jacob Emele in Schussenried. He quickly learned how to be adept as a painter and architect, working at the easel and on large-scale frescoes, as well as in architectural construction, which included bricklaying and stonework. Two of Zick’s first important painting projects involved working with his father at the residence of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, and then for the Prince-Bishop of Speyer in Bruchsal. The WAG work is a finished oil study for a ceiling fresco and it is an excellent representation of the German Rococo style on which Zick built his reputation. The equilateral triangle depicted here represents the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.